University of Memphis Athletics
M Club to Add Four Honorees
Feb 02, 2018 | General, M Club, Memphis Athletics Fund
Antonio Anderson, John Bomer, Connie Hibbler and Chad Zurcher to be inducted Feb. 10
The University of Memphis M Club will induct its 2017 honorees in festivities scheduled for Saturday, February 10th at the Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway Hall of Fame. Antonio Anderson (men's basketball), John Bomer (football), Connie Hibler (women's basketball) and Chad Zurcher (baseball) were voted in to the 2017 Hall of Fame by the membership of the M Club.
In addition to the Class of 2017 honorees, four special awards will be presented at the evening's event. Glen and Valerie Brown will receive the Golden Tiger Award, while former baseball player and three-time M Club President Bill Edwards has been named the recipient of the Billy J Murphy Award. The family of Ester Hollie will receive her Ralph Hatley Silver M Honor, being awarded posthumously while John Flowers will be honored with the Murray Armstrong Award.
A few tables remain for the event, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10. Cocktails will begin at 6 pm with the dinner beginning at 7 pm. Honorees will then be presented at the men's basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 11 against UCF. Fans wishing to purchase a seat at one of the remaining tables can contact Bob Winn at 901-678-4878.
Antonio Anderson (2006-09), a native of Lynn, Massachusetts, received eight career honors from Conference USA for the Tiger basketball team under former head coach John Calipari. He helped his Tiger teams to three Elite Eight appearances and to the 2008 National Championship game against Kansas during his storied career. The Tiger guard scored 1,277 career points and is currently ranked as the 19th all-time leading scorer in Memphis basketball history. Anderson was named to the 2009 NABC All-District Team and the All-C-USA second team. He was selected to the Collegeinsider.com All-Defensive Team in 2007 and was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Additionally, Anderson as also named to the Conference USA All-Defensive Team for three consecutive seasons. He helped lead the Tigers to a combined four-year record of 137-14 during his playing career, the winningest college basketball team in NCAA history. He signed with the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats in 2009 and played briefly for the Oklahoma City Thunder before a stint in Germany and Puerto Rico. Anderson entered the coaching profession at Wheelock College as an assistant in 2014 and now serves as the head coach for Lynn English High School in Massachusetts.
John Bomer (1967-70) arrived on the Memphis campus in 1967 as a football signee under former head coach Billy J. Murphy. An offensive lineman, he was a starter for the Tiger freshman team in 1967 and lettered as a back-up center as a sophomore. Bomer became the Memphis State starter as a junior and never relinquished his position. He was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team in 1969 and received All-America honors from the Associated Press the same season. Bomer was called by the Tiger coaching staff as the best center to play for the Tigers at that time. He returned to his starting position as a senior and was again named to the All-Missouri Valley first team. He received Associated Press All-America honors for a second-consecutive year and was selected to play in the annual Blue/Gray All-Star Game in Montgomery, Alabama. He was selected to participate in the annual Hula Bowl All-Star game and was taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1971 NFL Draft. In 1972, Bomer began his business career in Memphis, shipping cotton internationally, and in 2010, became the President of Consolidated Steamship Agency in Texas. He now heads J Bomer & Associates, an international consulting firm. Bomer is highly involved with Between Jobs Ministry at his church in Spring, Texas. In 2013, he received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Fogelman College of Business.
Connie Hibbler starred in basketball for then Memphis State University from 1985-88, playing under former head coach Mary Lou Johns. The high-scoring guard is currently ranked 12th in school history in scoring with 1,529 points and a 14.1 point-per-game average. She is also ranks ninth in school history with 349 career assists. The native Memphian remains ranked in career games started at 10th with 95 and fifth in minutes played with 3,421. Hibbler was named first team All-Metro Conference in 1987 and was voted to the Metro Conference All-Tournament Teams in 1985 and 1987. Following her career as a Lady Tiger, Hibbler began working for Shelby County as a corrections officer and remained with the department for 10 years, before being employed by shipping giant FedEx for more than 10 years.
Chad Zurcher (2008-11) came to the University of Memphis from Knoxville, Tennessee, in the fall of 2007 and immediately saw action as a true freshman for Coach Daron Schoenrock's Tiger baseball team. A three-year starter and two-time all-conference infielder, Zurcher led the nation in hitting in 2011 with a .443 batting average. Additionally, he was the national leader in on-base percentage that same season with a .557 mark. For his play in 2011, Zurcher was named first team All-America by Collegiate Baseball Magazine, Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Baseball America and the Amateur Baseball Coaches Association. He was selected to the All-Conference USA squad as both a junior and senior and was voted the Conference USA Male Athlete of the Year in 2011. Zurcher was drafted by the New York Mets in the 2011 Major League Draft. He went on to play 88 career games over two seasons and posted a combined batting average of .279 for the Rookie Kingsport Mets and Class A Savannah Sand Gnats. He now works as the Director of Baseball Operations for the University of Tennessee, where he serves as the primary liaison between the University and the Vols baseball program. Zurcher earned his undergraduate degree from Memphis and holds a master's degree from Liberty University.
Glen and Valerie Brown, lifelong Memphians, became members of the Tiger Ambassadors Club in 2011 and have continued to support the mission of the athletic department through their efforts and financial gifts. Glen attended Bartlett High School and UT-Martin and joined his family's business, Tri-State Harness, in 1974. He accepted a management position with UPS in 1984 and assumed the management of Design Systems in 1985. Four years later, Brown started BH Electronics and grew the marine business into a $35 million-a-year industry with more than 400 employees. He sold BH Electronics to a public corporation in 2007, but the nation's financial crisis shortly thereafter, helped deplete the marine recreation business. Brown took the company back in 2009, returning it to its lofty status within the industry. He currently remains as President of BH Electronics and heads the Marine acquisitions division of Patrick Corporation. Valerie, a graduate of the University of Memphis, served as a teacher for the Shelby County School System, where she received the Who's Who Among American Teachers Award while working at Alturia Elementary in Bartlett. Valerie and Glen have a daughter, Caroline, who is married to Fred Smithwick and three grandchildren, Eli, Ethan and Ellie.
Esther Hollie, a native of Waltham, Massachusetts, became a fixture in the University of Memphis athletic department in her role with the Tiger Scholarship Fund office. She served as the Athletic Department Gift Processor for 10 years and was instrumental in the coordination and operation events hosted by the fundraising division of athletics. A graduate of ITT Tech in Memphis, she held an associate degree in Drafting and Design and had worked at St. Jude Children's Hospital prior to joining the staff at the University of Memphis. Hollie, with her friendly face and warm personality, became a resource for the development office and enjoyed her role in helping Tiger donors and supporters with any problems that arose with their accounts. She was a fixture a virtually every Tiger event, volunteering her time and efforts to make sure that each function was a success. Hollie passed away on April 12, 2017 after a short illness. Her award will be accepted by her husband of 47-years, Tommy Hollie.
Bill Edwards, a past three-term president of the M Club, was literally born into the Memphis Tiger athletic family, as his father, the late Larry Edwards, taught in the Physical Education Department at Memphis for 30 years. A gifted baseball player, Edwards signed with head coach Dave Anderson's Memphis Tiger baseball program following his graduation from ECS. He was taken by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2004 Major League Draft. After five seasons in professional baseball, Edwards returned to Memphis and began his career with Strategic Financial Planners in 2006. In 2009, he earned the New England Financial Super Starter Award. He qualified for Mass Mutual's Leaders Conference from 2015-17 and was named to the Masters Council by Prudential in 2015-16. In addition to his career in wealth management, Edwards has continued to coach baseball in Memphis. He helped ECS to state championships in 2010 and 2012 and has had 17 former players continue their careers at the college level. Edwards and his wife, Mary Beth, have two children.
John Flowers, who came to the University of Memphis in 1985 as the Director of Football Operations under head coach Rey Dempsey, is this year's recipient of the Murray Armstrong Award. A native of Fillmore, Illinois, Flowers lettered in football for the Southern Illinois University for four years, playing under former SIU and Memphis head coach Rey Dempsey during his senior season. Following graduation from SIU in 1973, he became an assistant football coach at Lincoln Community (Illinois) High School in 1978 and then was named head football coach in 1983. In 1985, Flowers came to then Memphis State University as Director of Football Operations under his former collegiate football coach Rey Dempsey and remained in that position during the tenure of five head football coaches including, Charlie Bailey, Chuck Stobart, Rip Scherer and Tommy West. In 2010, he took on a different role for the University of Memphis, serving both the University and the athletic department by overseeing the Tiger athletic facilities. Now in his 33rd year with the University, Flowers is the Facility Management Specialist, overseeing renovation and construction projects for the Vice President of Campus Planning and Design. Flowers and his wife, LuAnn, have two daughters, Brittany and Brooke, their husbands and eight grandchildren.
In addition to the Class of 2017 honorees, four special awards will be presented at the evening's event. Glen and Valerie Brown will receive the Golden Tiger Award, while former baseball player and three-time M Club President Bill Edwards has been named the recipient of the Billy J Murphy Award. The family of Ester Hollie will receive her Ralph Hatley Silver M Honor, being awarded posthumously while John Flowers will be honored with the Murray Armstrong Award.
A few tables remain for the event, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10. Cocktails will begin at 6 pm with the dinner beginning at 7 pm. Honorees will then be presented at the men's basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 11 against UCF. Fans wishing to purchase a seat at one of the remaining tables can contact Bob Winn at 901-678-4878.
Antonio Anderson (2006-09), a native of Lynn, Massachusetts, received eight career honors from Conference USA for the Tiger basketball team under former head coach John Calipari. He helped his Tiger teams to three Elite Eight appearances and to the 2008 National Championship game against Kansas during his storied career. The Tiger guard scored 1,277 career points and is currently ranked as the 19th all-time leading scorer in Memphis basketball history. Anderson was named to the 2009 NABC All-District Team and the All-C-USA second team. He was selected to the Collegeinsider.com All-Defensive Team in 2007 and was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Additionally, Anderson as also named to the Conference USA All-Defensive Team for three consecutive seasons. He helped lead the Tigers to a combined four-year record of 137-14 during his playing career, the winningest college basketball team in NCAA history. He signed with the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats in 2009 and played briefly for the Oklahoma City Thunder before a stint in Germany and Puerto Rico. Anderson entered the coaching profession at Wheelock College as an assistant in 2014 and now serves as the head coach for Lynn English High School in Massachusetts.
John Bomer (1967-70) arrived on the Memphis campus in 1967 as a football signee under former head coach Billy J. Murphy. An offensive lineman, he was a starter for the Tiger freshman team in 1967 and lettered as a back-up center as a sophomore. Bomer became the Memphis State starter as a junior and never relinquished his position. He was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team in 1969 and received All-America honors from the Associated Press the same season. Bomer was called by the Tiger coaching staff as the best center to play for the Tigers at that time. He returned to his starting position as a senior and was again named to the All-Missouri Valley first team. He received Associated Press All-America honors for a second-consecutive year and was selected to play in the annual Blue/Gray All-Star Game in Montgomery, Alabama. He was selected to participate in the annual Hula Bowl All-Star game and was taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1971 NFL Draft. In 1972, Bomer began his business career in Memphis, shipping cotton internationally, and in 2010, became the President of Consolidated Steamship Agency in Texas. He now heads J Bomer & Associates, an international consulting firm. Bomer is highly involved with Between Jobs Ministry at his church in Spring, Texas. In 2013, he received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Fogelman College of Business.
Connie Hibbler starred in basketball for then Memphis State University from 1985-88, playing under former head coach Mary Lou Johns. The high-scoring guard is currently ranked 12th in school history in scoring with 1,529 points and a 14.1 point-per-game average. She is also ranks ninth in school history with 349 career assists. The native Memphian remains ranked in career games started at 10th with 95 and fifth in minutes played with 3,421. Hibbler was named first team All-Metro Conference in 1987 and was voted to the Metro Conference All-Tournament Teams in 1985 and 1987. Following her career as a Lady Tiger, Hibbler began working for Shelby County as a corrections officer and remained with the department for 10 years, before being employed by shipping giant FedEx for more than 10 years.
Chad Zurcher (2008-11) came to the University of Memphis from Knoxville, Tennessee, in the fall of 2007 and immediately saw action as a true freshman for Coach Daron Schoenrock's Tiger baseball team. A three-year starter and two-time all-conference infielder, Zurcher led the nation in hitting in 2011 with a .443 batting average. Additionally, he was the national leader in on-base percentage that same season with a .557 mark. For his play in 2011, Zurcher was named first team All-America by Collegiate Baseball Magazine, Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Baseball America and the Amateur Baseball Coaches Association. He was selected to the All-Conference USA squad as both a junior and senior and was voted the Conference USA Male Athlete of the Year in 2011. Zurcher was drafted by the New York Mets in the 2011 Major League Draft. He went on to play 88 career games over two seasons and posted a combined batting average of .279 for the Rookie Kingsport Mets and Class A Savannah Sand Gnats. He now works as the Director of Baseball Operations for the University of Tennessee, where he serves as the primary liaison between the University and the Vols baseball program. Zurcher earned his undergraduate degree from Memphis and holds a master's degree from Liberty University.
Glen and Valerie Brown, lifelong Memphians, became members of the Tiger Ambassadors Club in 2011 and have continued to support the mission of the athletic department through their efforts and financial gifts. Glen attended Bartlett High School and UT-Martin and joined his family's business, Tri-State Harness, in 1974. He accepted a management position with UPS in 1984 and assumed the management of Design Systems in 1985. Four years later, Brown started BH Electronics and grew the marine business into a $35 million-a-year industry with more than 400 employees. He sold BH Electronics to a public corporation in 2007, but the nation's financial crisis shortly thereafter, helped deplete the marine recreation business. Brown took the company back in 2009, returning it to its lofty status within the industry. He currently remains as President of BH Electronics and heads the Marine acquisitions division of Patrick Corporation. Valerie, a graduate of the University of Memphis, served as a teacher for the Shelby County School System, where she received the Who's Who Among American Teachers Award while working at Alturia Elementary in Bartlett. Valerie and Glen have a daughter, Caroline, who is married to Fred Smithwick and three grandchildren, Eli, Ethan and Ellie.
Esther Hollie, a native of Waltham, Massachusetts, became a fixture in the University of Memphis athletic department in her role with the Tiger Scholarship Fund office. She served as the Athletic Department Gift Processor for 10 years and was instrumental in the coordination and operation events hosted by the fundraising division of athletics. A graduate of ITT Tech in Memphis, she held an associate degree in Drafting and Design and had worked at St. Jude Children's Hospital prior to joining the staff at the University of Memphis. Hollie, with her friendly face and warm personality, became a resource for the development office and enjoyed her role in helping Tiger donors and supporters with any problems that arose with their accounts. She was a fixture a virtually every Tiger event, volunteering her time and efforts to make sure that each function was a success. Hollie passed away on April 12, 2017 after a short illness. Her award will be accepted by her husband of 47-years, Tommy Hollie.
Bill Edwards, a past three-term president of the M Club, was literally born into the Memphis Tiger athletic family, as his father, the late Larry Edwards, taught in the Physical Education Department at Memphis for 30 years. A gifted baseball player, Edwards signed with head coach Dave Anderson's Memphis Tiger baseball program following his graduation from ECS. He was taken by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2004 Major League Draft. After five seasons in professional baseball, Edwards returned to Memphis and began his career with Strategic Financial Planners in 2006. In 2009, he earned the New England Financial Super Starter Award. He qualified for Mass Mutual's Leaders Conference from 2015-17 and was named to the Masters Council by Prudential in 2015-16. In addition to his career in wealth management, Edwards has continued to coach baseball in Memphis. He helped ECS to state championships in 2010 and 2012 and has had 17 former players continue their careers at the college level. Edwards and his wife, Mary Beth, have two children.
John Flowers, who came to the University of Memphis in 1985 as the Director of Football Operations under head coach Rey Dempsey, is this year's recipient of the Murray Armstrong Award. A native of Fillmore, Illinois, Flowers lettered in football for the Southern Illinois University for four years, playing under former SIU and Memphis head coach Rey Dempsey during his senior season. Following graduation from SIU in 1973, he became an assistant football coach at Lincoln Community (Illinois) High School in 1978 and then was named head football coach in 1983. In 1985, Flowers came to then Memphis State University as Director of Football Operations under his former collegiate football coach Rey Dempsey and remained in that position during the tenure of five head football coaches including, Charlie Bailey, Chuck Stobart, Rip Scherer and Tommy West. In 2010, he took on a different role for the University of Memphis, serving both the University and the athletic department by overseeing the Tiger athletic facilities. Now in his 33rd year with the University, Flowers is the Facility Management Specialist, overseeing renovation and construction projects for the Vice President of Campus Planning and Design. Flowers and his wife, LuAnn, have two daughters, Brittany and Brooke, their husbands and eight grandchildren.
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